County Dept. of Health and Human Services issued Vaping Advisory...
Chautauqua County health officials are now urging residents to stop using all vaping products until the investigation into the definative cause of nation-wide vaping-associated illnesses is concluded. That from County Director of Health and Human Services Christine Schuyler in light of advisories put out by state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker... and, the Centers for Disease Control. Schuyler says the state Health Department says... as of September 5th... they had received 34 reports from doctors across New York of severe pulmonary illness among patients ranging from 15 to 46 years of age who were using at least one cannabis-containing vape product before they became ill. However, all patients reported recent use of various vape products. If your are concerned with your device or vaping products... or just want more information call the state Vaping Hotline at 1-888-364-3046.

Pennsylvania man arrested on weapons and drug charges in Jamestown...
An Erie, Pennsylvania man is jailed for allegedly being found in possession of a loaded handgun, and marijuana during a traffic stop in Jamestown early Friday morning. City police say they stopped the car, driven by 32 year-old Dennis Rollinger, on Fluvanna Avenue about 2 a.m. for allegedly talking on a cell phone. However... during the stop... officers say they found Rollinger was in possession of the gun without a valid state Pistol Permit. They also accuse Rollinger of having a quantity of pot in his possession. He faces charges including second-degree criminal possession of a weapon... unlawful possession of marijuana... and, other traffic infractions.

Borrello says dispute between NYS and Seneca Nation may impact 2020 budget plan...
Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello continues to criticize Governor Andrew Cuomo's handling of a dispute between New York State and the Seneca Nation. As he prepares his proposed 2020 budget, Borrello says the county is owed a significant amount of funding by the state because of the ongoing dispute. Borrello says it totals about $750,000 annually because one casino is on the Seneca's Cattaraugus Reservation in the north county community of Irving. He says the total amount owed to the county today is $2.2 million, and it could increase to $3 million if nothing is done in the coming year. The Hanover Republican says despite the ongoing feud between the state and the Senecas, the county should still be getting its share of money because the state is obligated to turn over that money. Borrello participated in two separate news conferences that Congressman Tom Reed held last month on the condition of a stretch of InterstaTe 90 that runs across the Seneca Nation's Cattaraugus Reservation.

New Runnings store set to open later this month in West Ellicott...
A smaller chain, retail store that caters to homeowners, farmers and others is preparing for it's grand opening in West Ellicott in early October. That from Ellicott Town Supervisor Pat McLaughlin, who says Runnings has now fully taken over the 115-thousand square feet in the former Sam's Club location at 720 Fairmount Ave. McLaughlin says Runnings will have a "soft opening" on Thursday, Sept. 26, and, a grand opening between October 6 and 9. He thinks people will be excited to see what's in there, and return to shop often. McLaughlin says it's his understanding that Runnings will employ 54 people to start... with more to be hired around the end of the year holidays. On it's website... Runnings noted that they expected to ultimately employ 70 people at both their new Jamestown-area and Plattsburgh, New York stores. Runnings calls itself "Your Home, Farm and Outdoor Store..." and is based in Marshall, Minnesota.

Reed says pressure put on State leads to $4.7-million payment to city of Salamanca...
Meantime... local Congressman Tom Reed's push casino revenues to get back to the city of Salamanca has proven successful after the state reported the Cattaraugus County city will receive $4.7-million of the payments owed. As a result... two new firefighters were hired on at the city fire department. Reed says those additions allow the department to fully staff two ambulances, which improves the city’s response to emergency situations. The Corning Republican says "getting these funds to the city of Salamanca is the right thing to do. We care about the safety of Salamanca’s citizens – and are glad two firefighters have been added to the fire department." Salamanca Mayor Michael Smith says they're "incredibly grateful for Congressman Reed’s involvement in this process. It was totally his involvement that got this ball rolling."

Stolen dog in town of Ellicott returned home, thief is arrested...
A dog allegedly stolen from a home in the town of Ellicott has been reported back home safe and sound. Town Police say they responded to the unidentified residence for a burglary complaint on Tuesday. Investigation revealed the canine was allegedly taken from the home by a suspect named Janice Rial. Rial was arrested and charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and second-degree trespassing. Rial was issued an appearance ticket for Ellicott Town Court at a later date to answer the charges.

A formal ground-breaking has been held on a nearly $2.9-million project to consolidate a local company's operations in the Mason Industrial Park just outside of Jamestown....

Chautauqua County officials joined with officials from the Stannard Group to get a look at construction of the group's new, 26,000 square facility on Industrie Drive in the town of Ellicott. Deputy County Executive for Economic Development, Mark Geise, praised the Weaver family for staying in the Jamestown-area.

Stannard Group President Dean Weaver praised Industrial Development Agency officials -- led by Rich Dixon -- for working so well with them to find the location. He says they'll be bringing Weaver Materiel, Naco Truck Leasing and, Stannard Properties together in the new building, which he says will allow them to economize operations, and have all 34 employees under one roof. The new property totals about 5.5 aces in the south county industrial park that is close to some of their vendors, as well as Interstate 86. Stannard is celebrating it's 75th year of operation and, was started by Dean Weaver's grand-father in Buffalo in 1944.

Two "game changing" projects have being given priority status to receive funding from the state's Regional Economic Development Council program....

One of those, the $15-million re-development of the former Furniture Mart Building in downtown Jamestown is one of them. County Executive George Borrello adds the second one is to re-purpose an existing building to become a hops, barley and grain processing facility.

Borrello says the county, so far, has had 11 such projects recommended for priority status by the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council since the governor began the funding competitions several years ago. He says the Gebbie Foundation is seeking 1.8-million dollars for the Furniture Mart project, which would be developed by Buffalo-area Developer Peter Krog. Borrello says the recommendations now move on to the state with a final decision expected later this year.

A Southwestern Central School Board member is accused of possessing a hand-gun without a permit....

Ellicott Town Police say the school's Resource Officer received information Wednesday that the image of a pistol was displayed on social media by a juvenile from the district. However,police say no threats were made to anyone or the school. Town police say their investigation revealed that 57 year-old Richard Hartmann, Junior had the pistol in his home without the required permit. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, and issued an appearance ticket for town court.

Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone says he's never seen two separate fatal traffic accident so close to each other -- and, involving rescuers from the same fire department....

Quattrone says the tragic morning Wednesday began at 4 AM, when police were called to the scene on Interstate 86 in the town of North Harmony, near Exit 7.

The second accident occured about six-hours later at the intersection of Route 394 and the Magnolia-Stedman Road, where a pick-up truck allegedly ran a stop sign -- and slammed into a commercial vehicle. Quattrone says that vehicle was westbound on Route 394 when the cab was hit, and, the driver -- 63 year-old James Ellis of Jamestown -- was pronounced dead at the scene. In the first accident, Quattrone says the operator, 66 year-old Tommy Hyde of Warsaw, New York, was killed. While the Magnolia-Stedman Road was used as a detour for the earlier accident, Quattrone says the detour was taken down before the second crash.

The case of a north county woman accused of stabbing a teenaged girl to death earlier this year will go to trial next January....

That from Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson, who says 26 year-old Ashlyann Lopez-Lopez of Dunkirk is charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of 15-year-old Jefrena Brown last May 15th. Swanson says a tentative trial date has been set for January 7th. Brown died the following day at the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. Swanson did not comment further on the case.

A February trial date for the insider trading case against a Western New York Congressman who was an early supporter of President Donald Trump appears to be in jeopardy...

Representative Chris Collins did not say outside court whether the prospects of a Manhattan trial in early 2020 might affect whether he runs for reelection next year. But, the Republican expressed confidence he'll be exonerated on charges he leaked information about a biopharmaceutical company as friends and family dodged $800,000 in stock losses. He also predicted that if he seeks re-election, he'll win that battle, too. Collins represents a district in the Buffalo-area. He pleaded not guilty to the latest iteration of an indictment after prosecutors streamlined the case to speed the trial. But, it became clear at a hearing Thursday that thorny legal issues might force a trial delay.

One of the two drivers involved in the second of two, two-vehicle crashes in the town of North Harmony late Wednesday morning was killed...

Sheriff's officers say the accident occured about 11 AM on Route 394, at the intersection with the Magnolia-Stedman Road. Deputies say a pick-up truck failed to stop at the stop sign on Magnolia-Stedman Road, and struck a commercial vehicle on Route 394. Officers say the commercial vehicle rolled over, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene. the truck driver was taken to Westfield Memorial Hospital for treatment of their injuries. No names have been released, and no charges have been filed. The crash remains under investigation.

A western New York man was killed in an earlier two-car rollover crash on Interstate 86 in the town of North Harmony Wednesday morning....

Sheriff's officers were called to the scene, near Exit 7, just after 4 AM. Deputies say one of the drivers involved, 66 year-old Tommy Hyde of Warsaw, was pronounced dead at the scene. The occupants in the second vehicle were not hurt. Officers say the eastbound lanes of I-86 from the Panama-Stedman Exit to Stow were closed for several hours. Several fire crews crews, and the Chautauqua County Hazardous Materials Team were called to the scene. The investigation is still on going at this time.

The nation paused yesterday to mark the 18th anniversary of the "9/11" attacks in New York, Washington, D-C, and Pennsylvania. Chautauqua County commemorated the anniversary with bells tolling in Dunkirk and Mayville.....

There was a large crowd that turned out in Dunkirk for Wednesday morning's ceremony outside City Fire Headquarters and, there was a good crowd on hand at Noontime in front of the county courthouse in Mayville. Local Congressman Tom Reed thanked first responders who answered the call that day and, still do today.

In Dunkirk, City Fire Department Captain Gary Katta said the death toll from the attacks continues to mount, as many first responders continue to die from "9/11" related illnesses. Katta says the 200th firefighter death from those illnesses occured this past July. Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, who was a state trooper at the time of the attacks, spoke about assisting those at Ground Zero in the weeks following the attacks.

Hours after the official ceremony ended, crowds lingered into the night at the September 11th memorial in New York....

As darkness fell, people filled the streets around the firehouse at the southwest corner of the memorial plaza Wednesday to listen to a bagpipe and drum corps play songs saluting the terror attack victims. The New York Fire Department's Emerald Society Pipes and Drums led the crowd in renditions of the Irish folk song "The Wild River" and "God Bless America." Overhead, the twin beams of the "Tribute in Light" were visible. Each year the city shines the powerful columns of light into the sky from Lower Manhattan to represent the fallen twin towers of the World Trade Center.

A 20-year-old Jamestown man is facing a felony charge after an investigation into a reported assault on Lake Shore Drive near Serval Street in the city of Dunkirk last Friday morning....

Dunkirk Police say that Adrian Melo Estrada was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with the victim, a known relative, around 6 am. Police believe the incident was the result of a disagreement. Estrada was arraigned on a charge of first degree assault and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail on $100,000 cash bail.

State officials will host a public information meeting next week about plants to widen a one-half mile of Route 60 in both directions between Gerry and Sinclairville......

The State Department of Transporation says the proposed paving project is scheduled to begin next spring in the towns of Charlotte, Gerry, Stockton and villages of Cassadaga and Sinclairville. County Executive George Borrello says the road project is a good start to improving the traffic flow, something local officials have pushed for.

Borrello says, if the county can continue the momentum to get more work done to expand the number of passing lanes and widen Route 60 between Jamestown and Fredonia, that will provide a better traffic flow for local travelers, along with commercial traffic. The public information meeting will be held next Tuesday, September 17th, from 4 to 6 PM at Cassadaga Valley High School.

The city of Jamestown finished 2018 with about a 550-thousand dollar surplus. That from Jamestown's third-party, independent auditor, who gave the city a "clean bill" of financial health during his report to City Council this week....

John Trussalo gave the city an "unmodified, clean opinion" at the beginning, and end of his 69-page report.

Trussalo says the city managed it's finances well in 2018, by exceeding revenues with $36.4-million, while expenses totalled $35.9-million. However, there were some on-going concerns expressed, including that the city remains at 100-percent of it's constitutional taxing limit. At-Large Councilman Andrew Liuzzo asked where the city's additional, one-million dollar state aid payment was accounted for. Trussalo noted that it was with the state aid-revenues part of the report. He says, overall, the city received about $7-million in total state aid.

Motorists are asked to proceed with caution when traveling on Interstate-86 this morning following a motor vehicle accident.

County Dispatch confirm the rollover accident occurred about 4:10 AM.... and, the eastbound exit 7 for Panama-Stedman is closed to traffic. Dispatchers say Sheriff's Officers are directing traffic and remain on scene with Ashville, Bemus Point and Chautauqua Fire crews. A HAZMAT Team was also called in. We'll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

Americans are commemorating 9/11 with mournful ceremonies, volunteering, appeals to "never forget" and rising attention to the terror attacks' extended toll on responders.

A crowd of victims' relatives is expected at ground zero Wednesday. President Donald Trump is scheduled to join an observance at the Pentagon. Vice President Mike Pence is to speak at the third attack site, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Locally... veterans and officials will gather for the annual Noontime ceremony in front of the County Courthouse in Mayville.

A former Boy Scout leader and the local organization are being sued in State Supreme Court by the parent of a 14 year-old boy the scoutmaster is acccused of sexually abusing two years ago.

The Post-Journal reports the lawsuit against the Allegheny Highlands Council... Lakewood's Donald Shriver... and, the Boy Scouts of America was filed last Friday in Mayville. The suit claims that Shriver was allowed to 'segregate' the youth, and sleep with him in a shack when the alleged abuse took place. The parent says the Boy Scouts and the local council allowed Shriver to do this at Camp Chickasaw in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Shriver pled guilty to charges of third-degree corruption of minors and unlawful contact with minor - both sexual offenses.

City lawmakers are considering a nearly $13-million dollar "Smart City" Capital Investment Program that includes a new facilty to house and repair Jamestown's vehicle fleet.

Mayor Sam Teresi laid out the proposal during Monday night's three-and-a-half hour work session at city hall. Teresi says the plan takes into consideration the city's aging fleet and infrastructure. He adds some believe it should be bolder... but he says it needs to be affordable.

Under the proposal... Teresi says the city would actually borrow $9.4-million dollars... with the centerpiece being a $6.9-million dollar Central Maintenance Facility. The city's Fleet Manager, Pat Monahan, joined with Public Works Director Jeff Lehman to discuss the advantages of the plan. Monahan says a larger facility would allow them to possibly be reimbursed for some of their mechanic's work by become "factory-certified" for the work done. Lehman says they're looking at a 20,000 square foot structure that would be located at the old Union National site. Another big piece of the investment program is $1.2-million dollars for two new pumper trucks... and, the main ladder truck refurbished for the fire department.

The third-party candidate for Mayor of Jamestown has opened his campaign headquarters on the city's eastside... just a block away from city hall.

Libertarian candidate Andrew Liuzzo opened the doors to his headquarters in the former McDuff's Restaurant on Pine Street Tuesday afternoon. Liuzzo says this "kicks" his effort into high-gear... and, adds the cornerstone is "we need to become better neighbors...."

Liuzzo was joined at his headquarters opening by a Cleveland, Ohio man whose company works to help local municipalities deal with the on-going Zombie and vacant housing issue. Jamestown has had it's share of those. Liuzzo says his campaign will be posting hours of operation and events shortly. He adds you can also find out more at his "Friends of Andrew Liuzzo" Facebook page... which provides information on the issues, and gives people a chance to give him feedback. Liuzzo recently obtained the Libertarian endorsement to run for mayor after losing in a Republican Primary last June to nominee David Wilfong.

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County's 2019 General Campaign is off to a great start... thanks to some dedicated "game changers."

The local agency kicked off it's campaign in the parking lot of the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union on East Second Street yesterday afternoon... and, Executive Director Amy Rohler praised the efforts of their "Game Changers..." formerly known as the Pacesetters.

Rohler says they held the program at the credit union because they have been big United Way supporters... and, have now been designated to be part of a program that helps local Hispanic familes advance in the community through credit and asset-building, and getting access to needed services. The United Way's goal this year is 1.33-million dollars, and the campaign runs through the end of the year. For more information, go on-line to UWayscc.org or call 483-1561.

Two men from Jamestown area are accused of trafficking illegal drugs following their arrest during a traffic stop Monday morning....

Jamestown Police say they pulled over a car on East Second Street about 8:45 AM and, found 91 bags of a heroin-fentanyl mixture, weighing 9.1-grams. Officers say they arrested 42 year-old Melvin Galarza, and 31 year-old Jonathan Negron-Rosario for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and using drug paraphernalia. Both men are jailed pending arraignement. Anyone with information on illegal trafficking and sales of narcotic drugs is asked to call the JPD Tips line at 483-TIPS. You can also contact the confidential JPD Tips 4-1-1 app.

City officials are not responding directly to the firefighters union's call to more adequately staff the department for ambulance and fire truck operations...

During last night's City Council work session, Mayor Sam Teresi warned lawmakers about getting pulled into a public debate about collective bargaining.

Teresi says the union has been without a contract since January of 2016 and, says the union filed a notice of arbitration later in 2016, and nothing more has been done since. He says the problem hasn't been enough staffing for an ambulance but, what the private provider -- now UPMC Chautauqua Hospital -- has done in recent years. Teresi says they have been "gearing down their level of service..." and, he says that's put pressure on the fire department. Teresi says the only full-time public ambulance service was provided at one time by the former Jamestown General Hospital before it closed in the late 1980s.

The head of the Jamestown fireman's union says a lack of manpower is making it difficult to adequately staff both their ambulance and fire trucks...

Fire Lieutenant Shawn Shilling is also president of Jamestown Professional Firefighters Association Local 137. Shilling is blasting the administration of Mayor Sam Teresi for keeping the department chronically understaffed for nearly two decades now.

The Jamestown Fire Department has run an ambulance, along with it's fire trucks, for several decades now. However, Shilling says they only have 9 firefighters on duty at any time and, a national report says they should have at least 13 to 15 firefighters at all times. He says the department often has to call in an off-shift when responding to a fire in the city. He says, though, that means they may not have enough people to fight a blaze for 15 to 20 minutes. He says the city currently has 50 rank-and-file union firefighters. Shilling says they are making their voices heard now because a new mayor will be elected this November.

A Jamestown man faces charges -- including reckless endangerment -- for allegedly throwing an incendiary device out of a house "full of smoke" and barricading himself inside....

City Police responded to 17 West 12th Street for the incident last Saturday night and, confirmed that 21 year-old Brendon Hinson threw the object that almost struck an 11 year-old victim. Officers made entry into the smoky home and, tried to talk to Hinson but, he allegedly refused commands and tried to run away. He was later taken into custody on additional charges of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree obstruction.

The annual class to train referees for middle and high school basketball starts Wednesday at Jamestown High School....

And Roger McTavish, the man who teaches the class, says officials are desperately needed.

The class takes ten weeks, and there are some fees involved. But, McTavish says candidates who pass the test will quickly earn their investment back. The first session is Wednesday night in Room 250 at Jamestown High School at 7 PM. Interested candidates can attend the class or phone Roger McTavish at his home in West Ellicott.

Jamestown Police are seeking the public's help in identifying the person who allegedly broke into a Crescent Street business in the early morning hours of August 19th....

On their Facebook page, City Police posted two photos of the alleged suspect taken from surveillance video. Investigators say anyone who may recognize the suspect, or has information on the break-in, is asked to contact city police at 483-7537 or you can call the anonymous Tip line at 483-8477 (TIPS) or via the Tips 411 App. All calls and tips are kept confidential.

A husband and his wife, and the wife's boyfriend, have all bee arrested following a domestic incident in Jamestown in front of the couple's two young children....

City police were called to the scene at 307 Allen Street just before 3:30 PM Saturday for what was described as a "lover's quarrel." Officers say 29 year-old Mary Rodriguez initially got into a fight with the boyfriend, 28 year-old Paul Otto, while Rodriguez's husband, 32 year-old Stephen Rodriguez, was present. Mary Rodriguez is accused of pushing Otto several times, breaking his cellphone, and pulling his shirt and glasses off of him. Otto then allegedly pushed her to the ground, and Stephen Rodriguez stepped in, hitting Otto several times. The melee continued in front of the Rodriguez's 6 and 2 year-old children. All three were arrested on charges including second-degree harassment, unlawful imprisonment and, endangering the welfare of a child. Mary Rodriguez and Otto were jailed pending arraignment, while Stephen Rodriguez was issued an appearance ticket.

An inmate at the Chautauqua Couty Jail has been arraigned on new charges after he tried to escape from a local hospital where he was being treated....

Sheriff's officers say 32 year-old Alden Wing was at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital back on August 31st when officers who were with Wing attempted to take him back in custody when he resisted arrest. An arrest warrant was later issued, and used as a detainer against Wing after he was taken back to the county jail. He'll appear in City Court for arraignment on a later date.

What he's done and how he's done it, were the focus of a tribute to Stan Lundine Sunday night at the Robert H. Jackson Center...

Several speakers discussed his accomplishments as mayor of Jamestown, Congressman and Lieutenant Governor and the quality of his leadership. His son John said Stan always worked hard, with integrity, so other people could live with dignity.

Following a standing ovation, Stan spoke of his motivation as simply "to make a positive difference in people's lives." He concluded his remarks by saying, "I'm not done yet." The event marked the opening of the Stan Lundine exhibit at the Jackson Center, 50 years after his first election as mayor of Jamestown. The current mayor, Sam Teresi, presented Stan with a key to the city.

In addition to the area in general... Chautauqua County is also working to better market it's more than 40 miles of overland trails....

County Executive George Borrello says they have now released new branding and marketing materials developed by the County's Division of Planning and Community Development. He says it was done in partnership with the Chautauqua County Visitor’s Bureau, the County Parks Commission and Department, and state Division of Tourism. Borrello says it highlights the county as a "beautifully natural place....".

The county's trails include the Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail and, the Fred Cusimano Westside Overland Trail. Borrello says they allow hikers to experience the beauty of the county’s pristine forests, rolling hills, and idyllic farmland. He says both trails are suitable for all ages and experience levels. Beyond hiking, the Overland Trails provide outstanding year-round recreational opportunities, such as camping, fishing and snowshoeing. For more information, go to hikechautauqua on Instagram.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed gun legislation this past week that bolsters the state's background check process for firearm licenses....

The governor's office says the new law will help stop "dangerously mentally ill" people from getting a firearm license in New York. The law allows authorities to review out-of-state records tied to an applicant's past or present mental illness. Bill sponsor state Senator Anna Kaplan said the law ensures that part-time New Yorkers receive the same review as full-time residents.

New York's health commissioner is urging people to stop vaping, echoing recent warnings about the habit from the federal government....

Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement Saturday that people should abstain from vaping while "the definitive cause of reported vaping-associated illnesses" can be better determined. Zucker says no illnesses have been found in the state's medical marijuana program, but he said patients should find alternatives to vaping while the investigation continues. Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters Saturday that, "people should not be using vaping products, period." U.S. health officials have identified about 450 possible illness cases in 33 states, including as many as five deaths. No single device, liquid or ingredient has been tied to all the illnesses. Many of those who were sickened said they'd been vaping THC.

Three Jamestown residents arrested for alleged drug trafficking, weapons possession....
Three Jamestown residents have been arrested after a raid at their home on the city's southside turned up a significant amount of drugs and weapons just before Noon yesterday. City police say officers, and members of the JPD SWAT Team... and, the Southern Tier Regional, and Jamestown Metro Drug Task Forces executed a search warrant at 320 Newland Avenue about 11:45 a.m. Police spotted the three trying to jump off a second-story porch... and, they arrested 35 year-old Richard Kinsey... 39 year-old Terrance McRae... and, 23 year-old Brandi Whitford. One allegedly threw a loaded 25-calibur hand-gun into the street while trying to jump. Agents found 9-ounces of methamphetamine, fentanyl, hydrocodone and other drugs inside the house... along with three stolen, loaded shotguns and several rounds of ammunition. They also found $11,000 cash. All three face several Felony charges, and are awaiting arraignment.

Jamestown school administration investigating bullying video...
The investigation is continuing into a series of troubling videos involving possible Jamestown school students. In a printed release... District Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says he was made aware of the footage Thursday evening and officials are taking appropriate disciplinary action. Apthorpe continues --quote -- "As a district, we are not legally allowed to share details about individual student disciplinary actions. However, I can assure the community that any situation that includes bullying and harassment will result in suspensions and/or restorative practices such as counseling, bullying prevention classes and community service." Apthorpe says the district will always take immediate and stringent action when it comes to the safety of all students... and, has a zero tolerance policy regarding the behavior displayed in the videos, during or after school hours. The complete statement can be found at jpsny.org.

Prior to bullying incident, JPS had a good first day back to class...
It was back to school for students across Chautauqua County this week... with Jamestown's coming Thursday. Up until the bullying incident Thurday night... District Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says it was an incredible day, with him starting the day at Ring Elementary School, about 1/2 hour prior to classes starting. He talked to a number of kids who had Marvel comics in their backpacks. Apthorpe says he also visited the newly opened Rogers Success Academy, a volunteer school where 75 students, so far, are attending during the 2019-2020 school year to get their academics back on track. With today being the first full day of classes... Apthorpe says students received several homegrown products in the cafeteria for breakfast and lunch, including locally produced corn-on-the-cob and dairy. This is one of many new initiatives he's put in place for the school year.

Randolph man arrested for alleged sexual abuse...
A Cattaraugus County man is held on $20,000 bail for first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Sheriff's officers with the Criminal Investigation Bureau in Little Valley say their investigation led to the arrest of 58 year-old Douglas Bailey, Jr. of Randolph for allegedly committing the crimes. Bailey man was arraigned in South Valley Court and remanded to the county jail.

Man arrested for menacing during domestic incident in Falconer...
A Jamestown area man has been arrested for menacing after allegedly displaying a hand-gun during a domestic incident involving his girlfriend in Falconer. Ellicott Town Police were called to the scene last Sunday... and investigation showed that 37 year-old Nathaniel Fleming allegedly spit in the woman's face several times, and pulled out the hand-gun. Officers obtained a warrant... and Fleming was later arrested on charges of second-degree menacing, and second-degree harassment. He was jailed pending arraignment.

Durniok appointed as permanent President at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital...
The interim president at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital has now been named permanent president of the Jamestown institution. Brian Durniok was appointed as interim president last January, following the retirement of Betsy Wright. Officials say Durniok has more than two decades of service to UPMC. He first joined UPMC Horizon in Mercer County, Pa. in 1995 as director of human resources. UPMC Chautauqua Board Chairman Steve Kilburn says "Brian is a highly qualified and experienced candidate with a demonstrated track record of success in leadership positions. During his relatively short time at UPMC Chautauqua, he has helped the hospital make considerable progress and position us for long-term success."

Reed supports Trump using $3.6-Billion for new Border Wall, but, feels Congress needs to take back power of the purse...
The decision by the Trump administration to shift $3.6-billion from defense projects to a wall on the southern U-S Border is supported by local Congressman Tom Reed. However... Reed still insists that it could be Congress taking the action and not the administration. The Corning Republican lawmakers have allowed such a situation to occur, and Mr. Trump is using that authority. With Defense Secretary Mark Esper's approval... the funding for 127 military construction projects was moved to build parts of a new border wall. Reed says he's still looking into possible impacts in his 23rd Congressional District... but, it appears only two projects -- both at West Point -- will be affected in New York state. He adds the wall is important to national security. The Pentagon comptroller says the projects are being "deferred" and not cancelled, though there is no guarantee the funding will be restored by Congress.

Malone says he won't resign following new revelations in priest sex abuse scandal...
The head of Buffalo's Roman Catholic diocese is resisting calls to resign after his former secretary secretly recorded him discussing a priest's alleged sexual harassment of a seminarian. It's the second time that a key member of the Reverend Richard Malone's staff has gone public with concerns about his handling of reports of clergy misconduct. Malone told reporters Wednesday that the Rev. Ryszard Biernat's decision to record confidential conversations was disappointing, but he believes most Catholics still support him.

The investigation into a series of troubling videos involving possible Jamestown Public School students is underway.....

In a printed release, District Superintendent says he was made aware of the footage yesterday evening and officials are taking appropriate disciplinary action. Apthorpe continues, "As a district, we are not legally allowed to share details about individual student disciplinary actions. However, I can assure the community that any situation that includes bullying and harassment will result in suspensions and/or restorative practices such as counseling, bullying prevention classes and community service." Apthorpe says Jamestown Public Schools will always take immediate and stringent action when it comes to the safety of all students and has a zero tolerance policy
regarding the behavior displayed in the videos, during or after school hours. A complete statement can be found at JPSNY.org and the district's Facebook page.

Two West Ellicott residents have been for allegedly dealing drugs and living in deplorable conditions with a two-year-old child in the house....

Ellicott town Police say they were assisted by the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, the JPD SWAT Team and State Police in raiding the home at 201 Frederick Boulevard just before 6 AM. Officers say they found Jeremiah Price and Anastasia Axford -- both 21 years of age -- inside the home. They also found possible drugs and drug paraphernalia... and, deplorable conditions. Both were initially charged with endangering the welfare of a child... and, further charges are pending.

A Dewittville woman was arrested for allegedly not providing support to her child for over six-months....

State Police in Jamestown say they received a call regarding a possible child neglect case on Tuesday. Further investigation revealed the young child had dozens of unexcused absences at school and was living with a non-custodial person for about eight-months. Troopers say 42 year-old Julia Johnson was taken into custody for first-degree non-support of a child and endangering the welfare of child. Johnson was later transported to the Chautauqua County Jail.

The head of Buffalo's Roman Catholic diocese is resisting calls to resign after his former secretary secretly recorded him discussing a priest's alleged sexual harassment of a seminarian....

It's the second time that a key member of the Reverend Richard Malone's staff has gone public with concerns about his handling of reports of clergy misconduct. Malone told reporters Wednesday that the Rev. Ryszard Biernat's decision to record confidential conversations was disappointing, but he believes most Catholics still support him. Biernat told WKBW-TV that he was troubled that Malone allowed a priest that the bishop referred to as "sick" to stay in ministry for months before suspending him while the seminarian's claims are investigated. Last year, Malone's aide Siobhan O'Connor released internal diocesan documents related to claims of clergy misconduct.

With state lawmakers eliminating the religious exemption on school immunizations... it appears some parents at least... are opting to home school their child....

The state legislature recently revoked the exemption for manditory vaccinations amid the nations worst measles outbreak since 1992. State School Boards Association Executive Director Tim Kreamer says parents of those 2,600 children affected had limited options.

Kreamer says the only other option available to those students is to take them to a school out of state. New York became the fourth state to eliminate religious and personal-belief exemptions after California, Mississippi and West Virginia. Maine will remove them in 2021. All states allow medical exemptions. Some parents are choosing to pull their kids from school rather than comply. More than 1,200 measles cases have been confirmed in 30 states this year.

Its been a "fairly smooth" start for another Jamestown area school district that had it's first day of classes yesterday....

That from Falconer Central School Superindent Steve Penhollow... who says they opened their doors for the start of the 2019-2020 school year for all grades. However... Penhollow says they have a lot of construction work going on at the start.

Penhollow says one school -- in particular -- is feeling the effects of construction work... but, it's not necessarily on the school property. He says motorists need to be careful in the area of Temple Elementary School, where the Route 62 intersection with the railroad tracks is having some work done right now. Penhollow says they'll have updated information on what's taking place... including traffic maps for the schools on their Facebook page. He adds people can also go to their website for more information. Penhollow says enrollment appears consistant with what they had at the end of last school year.

The interim President of the SUNY College at Fredonia is facing a number of challenges in his return to the campus...

Dr. Dennis Hefner is back at Fredonia after being retired for seven years. Hefner says one of his challenges is maintaining the university's enrollment numbers. He says it's more difficult now because the number of high school graduates in Western New York has been declining, so Fredonia has had to rely on recruiting more students out of state.

Hefner says the university plans to do more recruiting in Pennsylvania and Ohio... which are closer to Western New York state. He says he is looking for enrollment numbers at Fredonia to be at over 4,500 students.

A domestic incident at the Budget Inn in the village of Falconer has led to a local man being sent to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital for a mental evaluation....

Ellicott Town Police say they were called to the scene at the four-corners in Falconer to investigate... and, found that 33 year-old Shawn Washington allegedly threw an item at the unidentified victim, and hit them in the head. The victim had head pain, and some bruising. Washington was arrested... and, then take to the hospital for the evaluation.

A business partnership in Chautauqua County has put out a new brochure to help market and recruit workers and residents to the county....

The publication -- entitled "Find Yourself in Chautauqua County" -- was recently released by the C-H-Q Partnership. County Executive George Borrello says most businesses that recruit have good publications of their own but, those included little about the county in general.

Borrello says the brochure talks about attractions, schools and colleges, recreation and other opportunities. He says it also promotes the affordable life-style of the area. In addition to the brochure, he says there is an on-line, downloadable version of it and, that can be found at CHQpartnership.org. Borrello says the publication includes a number of facts that often aren't available on-line. He says on-line searches very often lead to bad or negative information. He says the brochure came out of his 100 businesses visited in his first 100 days in office. Borrello made his comments for this week's "Community Spotlight" program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.

A significant upgrade is in the works for the Fieldbrook Foods in Dunkirk....

Mayor Willie Rosas says Wells Enterprises has plans for an approximately $100-million dollar upgrade at Fieldbrook's Dunkirk facility. Rosas says the north county city has been working with the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency... and, state officials to help make the project happen.

Rosas says the project involves a variety of improvements, including upgrades to loading docks, internal and parking lot improvements, and, a new electrical substation. Rosas adds the expansion is also expected to include more than 50 new jobs. Wells Enterprises, which is based in Iowa, acquired Fieldbrook Foods in April.

The parent company of Fieldbrook Foods -- which also makes Blue Bunny ice cream -- is also buying a plant in Nevada, making it its fifth U.S. production facility....

Wells Enterprises said Tuesday that the Uni-lever plant in Henderson will help Wells meet the growing demand for its products in the western United States. Besides Blue Bunny ice cream, Wells makes Bomb Pops and private label ice cream and packs products for other companies. The family owned Wells declined to say how much it is paying for the Henderson plant, which has about 250 employees who are expected to be retained. In addition to it's Dunkirk plant, Wells has two manufacturing plants in Le Mars, Iowa and, it's fourth is in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Local Congressman Tom Reed and two Salamanca officials are blasting Governor Andrew Cuomo for not paying the city the casino revenues it's owed by the state....

During Reed's weekly telephone conference call with regional media, the three called on the governor to pay the Cattaraugus city the $6-million it's owed this year so it can meet it's budget, and get it's public safety program back to normal. Reed says the most frustrating part is that Cuomo okayed giving Niagara Falls the $12-million it's owed from the Seneca Nation.

Mayor Michael Smith noted that he had talked with members of Cuomo's administration about Salamanca receiving it's money three times and, was told initially they would get it. However, that hasn't happened. The Salamanca Fire Department has been reduced from 20 to 16 full-time firefighters and, Chief Nick Bocharski says they've had to make due, even utilizing police to help put out fires. In one instance, they could not get a properly trained firefighter to a recent emergency call for a 40 year-old person who had a heart attack and, that person later died.

A Jamestown woman was arrested for drug possession during a traffic stop in the Town of Ellicott Wednesay morning....

Town Police say they stopped a vehicle on Fairmount Avenue and, investigation revealed the passenger in the car -- 31 year-old Stephanie Dellahoy -- was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine, suboxone and subutex. She was taken into custody on three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and, issued appearance tickets for Ellicott Town Court at a later date.

A group of New York inmates is suing the state prison system, saying its efforts to crack down on prescription drug abuse have gone too far....

Eighteen prisoners said in a suit filed Monday that they are living with chronic pain because it has become too hard to get approval for some medications. The suit blames a policy adopted in 2017 that requires an extra layer of approval by senior prison system medical staff before inmates can get prescriptions filled for commonly abused drugs. The lawsuit says those approvals are rarely given, leading to hundreds of prisoners being cut off from drugs used for legitimate medical conditions. The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says the agency is "committed to battling the opioid epidemic and stemming the tide of addiction."

Canada goose hunting season is open throughout most of New York state.....

Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos says the September goose hunting season is designed to help reduce the resident Canada goose population, which has expanded to nuisance levels in some areas. New York's population of non-migrating Canada geese has grown from 80,000 in 1995 to more than 340,000 today. Hunting seasons have been liberalized in efforts to curb population growth. The September Canada goose season runs from September 1st through September 25th in upstate goose hunting zones. Hunters are allowed to take eight to 15 birds a day depending on the zone.

Another national chain restaurant in the Jamestown-area has closed....

We have learned from employees at the Lakewood Ruby Tuesday restaurant that they were notified by corporate headquarters that they were permanently closed as of yesterday. Several stunned employees were helping to do a final clean-up on the store late Tuesday morning. One said there was no prior warning about the shut-down, and that they received an e-mail notice. A sign on the front door apologized to the public "for any inconvenience that this may have caused you." It added they also looked forward to seeing patrons at one of their other restaurants.

The first school to start Fall classes in the immediate Jamestown-area was Southwestern and, it was a "fairly smooth" opening Tuesday for the district....

That from Superintendent Maureen Donahue, who says one of the big changes is -- after many years absense -- the district has a school resource officer in place from the town of Ellicott.

Donahue adds that Officer Kyle Cashmore has already begun opening up communication with the students and, it's hoped he'll be able to head off any troubles that may come up. Otherwise, she says they have about 40 more students enrolled this year and, that's put them above 1,400 total students for the first time in four years. Donahue says those numbers typically move up and down for the first few days of schools. She adds, though, that it's a promising trend. For more information on the Southwestern District, call 484-1136.

Student safety is at the forefront as a new school year begins in Chautauqua County and, across New York state.....

With that, some new tools have been made available to districts to keep guns away from potentially dangerous people. Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed New York's new "Red Flag Law..." which allows someone in authority to come forward with a concern about someone who could be a danger to himself or others and, may have access to firearms.

That's New York State School Boards Association Executive Director Tim Kreamer, who says if the order is upheld, the firearms could be taken away for up to a year. Kreamer says the law was basically in response to some calls for arming teachers after recent mass shootings, and what happened with the shootings in Dayton, Ohio. That shooter was known to others as being someone who was troubled, and should not have had access to guns. However, second-amendment advocates have been critical of such laws and, say a judge recently overturned a Red Flag order against an Allegany County man whose attorney said had guns taken away from him without due process.

Attendance at the New York State Fair has hit a new record for the fourth year in a row....

Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday that at least 1.33-million people came to the fair during its 13-day run. He spoke several hours before the fair ended, so the numbers could rise further. Attendance last year was a just under 1.28 million. The numbers are totals for the fair's 13-day run in the town of Geddes, near Syracuse. This year's fair also broke three records for attendance on a single day. The Democratic governor's office noted that this year's fair featured more free entertainment, including a new show focusing on bears and another featuring a tall robot. Meanwhile, the fair's Latin culture festival was expanded. The fair ends Monday night.

Filming for the motion picture "A Quiet Place: Part II" is now set up in the town of Westfield, and got underway yesterday afternoon at Barcelona Harbor....

Paramount Pictures will be using the location this week after it recently shooting scenes for the movie in the Town of Dunkirk. Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello says crews are expected to be shooting there for the next four to five days.

Borrello says the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office and emergency services will be involved in the filming and adds they are being compensated for. "A Quiet Place: Part II" starring John Krasinski and his wife, is scheduled to be released in theaters in March 2020.

During it's seven years of existence, the "Kallie's Krusade" fund-raiser has become a major event on Labor Day...

The program began at a different venue in 2013, but, has continued to grow after it's move to the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club the past few years. The parents of Kallie Swan appreciate all the support they've gotten along the way. She passed away in 2015 at the age of 3 from childhood cancer. Her mother, Tara, says now many people mark their calendars for the event.

The "Kallie's Krusade Foundation" helps support families from the area who are dealing with childhood cancer. Tara Swan says they recently donated a fish tank to Oshei Women and Children's Hospital in Buffalo. However, it had to be a "virtual fishtank" because children with compromised immune systems can't be around real ones. Swan says they came up with the idea because during one of Kallie's hospital visits, she was "captivated" by the fish tank in the waiting room.

Summer unofficially came to an end at 8:45 PM Monday night, under a moonlit sky at Bergman Park in Jamestown......

The band 'We Speak Canadian' brought the 40th annual Labor Day Festival to a close, handing the program over to Pyrotecnico FX of New Castle, Pa, who then put on a powerful fireworks show, with an extraordinary finale. Speaking earlier in the day, Mayor Sam Teresi complimented the employees of the Parks Department and the DPW. The Labor Day Festival was postponed from Sunday to Monday because of rain. Officials were generally pleased with the crowds, despite the delay.

This year’s George Ritzer Labor Award was presented at the Labor Day Fesitval Monday....

The award honors a person who has demonstrated a commitment to the lives of working people. Jamestown Central Labor Council President David Wilkinson announced this year’s winner. Jeffrey Keppel is a former teacher who now works as a Labor Relations Specialist for NYSUT, the New York State United Teachers. He was humbled to join the list of Ritzer winners, some of who he has worked closely with in the past. Keppel believes organized labor is getting new energy from new members. Jeff Keppel received proclamations from Mayor Sam Teresi and Assemblyman Andy Goodell.

Two Salamanca women have been arrested in Jamestown during a traffic stop and, one was allegedly found with a quantity of drugs and a large amount of cash....

City police say they pulled over a car, driven by Akyia Crowe, for giving an improper turn signal shortly after 1 AM Monday at the corner of East Sixth Street and Prendergast Avenue. Officers say Crowe is accused of driving with a suspended driver's license and, without an interlock device. Police say her passenger, Amber Brooks, was allegedly found in possession of a quantity of methamphetamine, a digital scale, and the cash. Both were arrested without incident and, Crowe faces charges including second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, while Brooks faces charges including third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both were jailed pending arraignment.

A 20 year-old Sherman man has been arrested on several traffic and vehicle violations after his car slammed into a utility pole Sunday night on Route 76....

Sheriff's officers were called to the scene in the town of Sherman about 8 PM and, found the unoccupied vehicle with significant damage. Deputies say the unidentified driver returned to the area and, was ticketed for drinking alcohol under the age of 21 and, then driving. He was not hurt but, has also been charged with failure to keep right, failure to maintain lane and, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. He was issued appearance tickets for Sherman Town Court and, will have to undergo a hearing by the state Department of Motor Vehicles Safety Hearing Bureau.

A Jamestown woman very involved with her union, and the community, is the recipient of this year's Joseph H. Mason Labor Award from the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County....

Resa Rosen-Murray was given the award recently during a dinner at Webbs Captain's Table in Mayville that honored her work, and service to the community. United Way Executive Director Amy Rohler says this was the 37th year they have presented the award. Rohler adds that Rosen-Murray is an "activity leader" for the Resource Center Senior Adult Day Habilitation program, and has worked at the Resource Center since the fall of 1979.

The seventh-annual Kallie's Krusade fund-raiser went off with just a couple of minor hiccups yesterday at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club, despite some rain in the morning....

The annual "Kolors for Kallie" 5-K run/walk was one of the highlights of the morning at the Rod and Gun Club, as runners and walkers left in three waves. The event was put on by the Kallie's Krusade Foundation, which was started by Tara and Shane Swan after their daughter, Kallie, was diagnosed just befor her second-birthday with cancer. Despite the weather, the annual motorcycle run took place and, they also had "Connect Life" the former UNYTS -- on hand for a blood drive.

They also had a dunk tank on hand and, the Veterean's of Modern Warfare were on hand selling barbacue chicken and, other food was also available. There was also a Karnaval and Korn Hole Tournament, all designed to raise money to help families dealing with pediatric cancer. She says they help with paying bills and, many times buy gas cards for families that have to travel for treatments for their children. For more information about the foundation, go on-line to KalliesKrusade.org.

With rain and thunderstorms in the forecast for Sunday afternoon and evening... Jamestown city officials and organizers of the city's annual Labor Day Festival has postponed the event until Monday. Parks and Recreation Coordinator Julia Ciesla-Hanley says all scheduled events, including the big fireworks show at the conclusion will take place on Monday, Sept. 2. However... the annual Dan Feather Memorial 5K Run/Walk will go on -- as scheduled -- on Sunday, Sept. 1 at Bergman Park. It'll kick off at 9 a.m. Find more in the bulletin published a short time ago.

DeWittville man arrested after raid nets police drugs and weapons...

A DeWittville man is jailed on drug and weapons charges after a recent raid on his home on the Ellery-Centralia Road in the town of Ellery. Sheriff's officers say the executied the search warrant on Wednesday, Aug. 14... and found a firearm, quantity of psychodelic mushrooms... and a quantity of methamphetamine. Deputies say 57 year-old Kevin Hughes was arrested Friday morning on charges of third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon -- a Felony... three counts of criminal possession of a Controlled Substance, and criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. Hughes was taken to the Chautauqua County Jail and is awaiting arraignment in front of the Centralized Arraignment Program.

Quattrone urges motorists to be safe over long, Labor Day Holiday Weekend...

The Labor Day holiday weekend is underway... and, that means area highways will be very busy, and local police agencies are reminding drivers to think safety first to prevent a tragedy from happening. Chautauqua County Sheriff Jim Quattrone says you should make sure to drive defensively, as there will be a lot of people walking here and there, too because it's the last weekend of the Summer season. Quattrone adds there will be DWI patrols roaming the area... and, with riding sharing services available, people should be able to get a safe ride home. Travelers are also advised to give themselves extra time to get to their destination, wear their seatbelts, and to put away the cell phone while behind the wheel.

A significant gathering of Chautauquans and Chautauqua County residents were on hand late Friday morning for a memorial service honoring the life of late Institution organist and choir director Jared Jacobsen. Jacobsen was killed in a motor vehicle crash in Geneva, Ohio earlier this week. The Post-Journal reports that Chautauqua President Michael Hill opened the service by saying "it's with a profound sadness and grief that I welcome you back to the amphitheater this morning. Just five days ago Jared Jacobsen conducted the final sacred song service of the season." Jacobsen was 70. The Massey Organ that Jacobsen played the past 25 seasons remained quiet during the solemn service.

Man from Lakewood killed in Warren County rollover crash...

A Lakewood man was killed in a roll-over motor vehicle accident in Warren County, Pennsylvania early last Monday morning. State Police in Corry say 35 year-old Chad Thompson was southbound on Page Hollow Road in Freehold Township when his Honda sedan left the roadway and struck an embankment. Troopers say Thompson's car then over-turned and came to rest on it's roof. The Warren County Corner pronounced him dead at the scene. The road was closed off to traffic for nearly two-hours while Troopers continued their investigation. Thompson was not wearing a seatbelt during the crash.

Leathers outlines recycling changes for BPU starting on Labor Day...

The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities will make it's move to single-commodity recycling next week when trash pick-up resumes on Tuesday. BPU General Manager Dave Leathers says there's been some "upheavel" in the recycling markets... and, that's led to the change. However... he says they're hoping the upheavel is just temporary... and, there'll be no problems in the near future. Leathers says part of the problem is finding outlets to take recycleables to that take the items, and how clean they want them. He says another part of the issue is that China is no longer accepting a number of recycleables. He says this coming week will remain the recycling week it was slated to be... with glass items being taken starting next Tuesday. One type of item will be taken each week after. Leathers says the BPU's most recent newsletter includes a new four-month recycling calendar through the end of the year. However... if you have any questions... call the BPU's Garbage Hotline at 661-1651. Leathers made his comments for this weekend's "Community Spotlight" program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.

Reed visits Southern Tier Brewing...

Local Congressman Tom Reed got the chance this week to tour what's been a "great" business success in Chautauqua County and the town of Busti. Reed toured Southern Tier Brewing... located in the Stoneman Industrial Park... which continues to expand in it's nine-year-old location. The Corning Republican says the growth of Southern Tier has been a real success story... with a lot of it's growth triggered by federal tax cuts. He says they now employ about 900 people at all their facilities. Reed adds that addressing excise taxes has helped Southern Tier Brewing... along with it's still-new offshoot business... Southern Tier Distilling. He says Southern Tier owners Phin Demink and Nathan Arnone noted that gaining access to different markets, and workforce issues are still hurdles for them.

City man arrested for theft of pick-up truck, and credit card in town of Busti...

A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly breaking into a garage in the town of Busti, and stealing a pick-up truck and a wallet from the attached home. Lakewood-Busti Police were recently called to the scene on Hillview Avenue... and, found a 2013 Ford truck and the credit card had been taken. Officers say 25 year-old Robert Comber later allegedly used the stolen card at the Lakewood Wal-Mart store, and he was arrested for second-degree burglary, third-degree grand larceny, and second degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. He was also wanted on a parole violation, and jailed pending arraignment.

Members of the City of Jamestown staff and Labor Day Festival Organizing Committee have determined that due to the inclement weather expected for Sunday afternoon through late Sunday night, the 40th Annual Labor Day Festival will be postponed to Monday, September 2. All scheduled activities, music, vendors, crafters and the fireworks extravaganza will remain at the same scheduled times on Monday. The Dan Feather Memorial 5K Run/Walk will continue as scheduled on Sunday, September 1, at Bergman Park. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m., with the run kicking off at 9 a.m.

A number of considerations went into making this decision, public safety being first and foremost. With pending thunderstorms, it is best to avoid having to evacuate a large crowd of people filling Bergman Park. Organizers must also be mindful for the safety of dozens of city employees and hundreds of volunteers who put numerous hours into running the festival. Lastly, the organizers must consider the best possible time for the festival so the many food vendors and crafters, who have made large investments in their operations, can be as successful as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact the City of Jamestown Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department at 483-7523. From the city of Jamestown.

A Westfield man has been arrested following an arson investigation in the town of Pomfret earlier this month....

The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office says Deputies and the County Fire Investigation Team were called to investigate a structure fire on North Road shortly after 11 PM on August 2nd. As a result, 46 year-old Andrew Davidson was charged with felony third-degree arson. Davidson reportedly turned himself in to the Sheriff's Office and, was taken to the County Jail for arraignment. He posted $20,000 bail and was released.

Three Gerry residents were arrested for Endangering the Welfare of a Child between last Saturday this past Tuesday....

State Police in Jamestown say they were called to a home in the town of Gerry for a child hanging out of a second-story windown and on arrival, found living conditions that were "deplorable and unsuitable." Troopers say the child stated he was only leaning out to look at a bird and was not hurt. It's unclear how many children were in the residence at the time of the investigation, but police say they were turned over to a relative pending further investigation by Child Protective Services. Taken into custody were 32 year-old Nikki Coulson, 24 year-old Jacob Atwell and 37 year-old Benjamin Frost. Each are to appear in Gerry Town Court next month. (**State Police say Atwell and Coulson also arrested back in May for a near-identical incident, when the Troopers checked the welfare of a toddler in Route 60 and resulted in the discovery of the children living in squalor.)

A new law in New York is designed to spare victims of domestic violence some penalties on their monthly bills.....

The law signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo allows people fleeing their batterers to terminate multi-year telephone or cable contracts at the home they're leaving without paying a penalty. The law covers victims who have received an order of protection. Cuomo says the survivors of domestic violence should not have to handle the added stress and red tape that comes with contract termination penalties. The law takes effect immediately.

Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello has almost another month to fine-tune a new, 2020 budget for the county legislature to consider.....

Borrello says it will be a challenge to hold the line on taxes, mainly because of new and ongoing state mandates. However, he says he and his budget team are finishing up meetings with department heads. Borrello says another step will be taken in the budget-making process next week when they get a "broader look" at where they are after looking at each indivdual department. The county executive's preliminary budget is due out on September 25th.

The Chautauqua County Legislature has decided to move ahead with an approximately one-million dollar project to rehabilitate a former private hangar at the Jamestown Airport.....

Jamestown Democrat Chuck Nazzaro and Audit and Control Committee Chairman Pierre Chagnon worked on the revised resolution, in which the county would only pay out $50,000 in capital reserve funds. Originally, the county was going to shell out $172,000.

Nazzaro says the state Department of Transportation will be providing a $900,000 Aviation Grant for the project. He says the additional money will come from $48,000 in in-kind services from the Department of Public Facilities, and $65,000 in timber sales from the airport property. Sheridan Republican Terry Neibel supported the measure, but questions whether the county can afford to have two airports, with some big expenses pending. Nazzaro also noted that if the county did nothing, and had to tear down the old hanger, it would cost them $80,000 to do that. The measure was approved Wednesday night, 14-to-2.

More accolades for the Sherman High School sophomore who finished second in the Decatholon in the Hershey National Track and Field Championships last month....

John Swabik was recognized by the Chautauqua County Legislature at Wednesday night's meeting for his feat. Swabik led the competition in California early on in late July and, wound up with a Silver Medal. He won a state title with the Clymer/Sherman/Panama team and, was given the commendation by Findley Lake area Legislator Martin Proctor.

Legislature Chairman P-J Wendel says they were going to present a commendation last month but, Swabik was getting ready for the nationals at that time, and preparing to be in five new events. Swabik told the legislature that he also has a long-term goal -- making the U-S Olympic team in 2024. Wendel says one of Swabik's teammates, who also won a state championship, will be honored by the legislature next month.

New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand has dropped out of the presidential race....

The 52-year-old U-S Senator announced her decision Wednesday on Twitter as her campaign, which once looked to ride strong 'MeToo' credentials, was plagued by low polling and fundraising struggles. She had failed to meet thresholds for required numbers of donors and polling to qualify for the September debate in Houston. Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate in 2009 to fill the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton.

He will still be on the November ballot, but a Republican Jamestown City Council candidate has withdrawn his candidacy from the race....

Former City Planner Greg Lindquist says he "regrets" the decision but, says "due to personal circumstances I have chosen not to seek this elected position." Lindquist was running for an At-Large seat.

A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing a person multiple times with a knife on a southside street corner....

City Police were called to the scene at Forest and Prather Avenues just after 10 AM Wednesday... and, found the victim, who was rushed to the hospital. Officers say they found the suspect, identified as 31 year-old Jermaine Gordon, at an address on Tew Street about 5:45 last night. Gordon was arrested for first-degree assault, and is being held pending arraignment. Police say the victim is now in stable condition at UPMC Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pennsylvania.

A Jamestown man accused of being a major trafficker of cocaine and methamphetimine in the area has been sentenced to seven-years in federal prison....

U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior says 37 year-old Juan Pacheco was recently found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute five-kilograms or more of cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and marijuana. Kennedy says he was given 84 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Vilardo. Prosecutors say Pacheco was arrested on August 18th of 2016 following a raid at his alleged stash house at 477 Main Street. There, authorities say they recovered about nine-kilograms of cocaine, three-and-a-half kilograms of meth, and three kilograms of marijuana. They also seized about $133,000 in cash, as well as about $7,000 in Pacheco's pocket. Proscutors say Pacheco was receiving kilogram quantities of the drugs from California after it was smuggled in from Mexico.

Chautauqua County now has a law in place that allows the county legislature to fill a vacancy in the executive's position....

Lawmakers in Mayville last night unanimously approved a charter amendment that makes the appointment similar to how a vacancy on the legislature is filled. Sheridan Republican Terry Neibel says he liked the addition to the outgoing executive's party committee being able to weigh in.

Discussion of the local law actually began when current Executive George Borrello decided to run for the vacant State Senate seat, vacated earlier this year by Cathy Young. Borrello was part of the discussions, and he agreed it was too much having the job go -- by default -- to the "Acting" County Executive. He says that's currently the county attorney. The new local law would give the county legislature the power to fill the position within 30 days of the vacancy and, with a member of the same political party as the person who vacated the office.

The county legislature last night also approved a new, three-year contract agreement with part-time deputies in the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department. The contract includes pay increases for the approximately 35 members of the unit to 2-percent this year, 3-percent for 2020 and, 2-percent for 2021. County Executive George Borrello says they believe it will help attract new hires, and retain them. The part-time deputies mainly work court security and, are represented by Civil Service Employees Association Unit 6322.

Chautauqua Institution's organist and worship coordinator has been killed in a tragic motor vehicle accident in Geneva, Ohio....

Institution President Michael Hill this afternoon announced that Jared Jacobson died in the accident on Route 84 Tuesday afternoon. Hill says Jacobson was "Chautauqua’s organist and coordinator of worship and sacred music for nearly 25 years, and someone who proudly proclaimed himself a lifelong Chautauquan." Jacobson held his current position since 1996 and, talked with our Dennis Webster about it just prior to the 2011 season.

President Hill says Chautauqua is awaiting final word of Jared's wishes for services but, acknowledged - "our community is grieving this unspeakable loss." Many have described Jared and the music he masterfully created with the iconic Massey Memorial Organ at the Chautauqua Amphitheater as the “heart and soul” of Chautauqua. Hill urged the public to join them for a memorial service this Friday, August 30th at 11 AM in the Amphitheater. The Retired Reverend V. Gene Robinson will preside..

Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello is getting some heat from his opponent in the local state Senate race for taking part in a press conference in Buffalo with local Congressman Tom Reed Tuesday....

Reed was at the U-S Attorney's office, calling for an investigation of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and how he has handled federal funding to repair and upgrade the state Thruway -- located on Seneca Nation land. Democrat Austin Morgan says the condition of the road is not the issue but, how Borrello and Reed have handled it is.

Morgan accused Borrello of misusing county resources regarding the executive's call for Governor Cuomo to be investigated for not releasing funds to fix the 5-mile stretch on Seneca Nation land. Reed has sent a letter to U-S Attorney General William Barr asking for a federal investigation.

A residential fire in the town of Chautauqua has been ruled as an arson by the Chautauqua County Criminal Investigation Team....

Sheriff's officers say multiple fire agencies were called to 5728 Hartfield-Centralia Road about 11:30 PM last Sunday. Two adults and two children were able to escape safely and, a crew was sent back early Monday morning for a rekindle. Investigation by officers led to the arrest of 27 year-old Fletcher Williams of Sinclairville. He was arraigned and remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail on charges of felony second-degree arson, with bail set at $150,000.

A city man faces several charges for allegedly assaulting two young males in the presence of a 5 year-old girl....

Jamestown police responded to 14 Cedar Avenue foor two males fighting on Monday night and, on arrival identified the suspect as 51 year-old Jesse Waite-junior. Police say -- while an intoxicated state -- Waite reportedly pinned a 9 year-old boy to ground before punching him in the face and choking him. Waite was confronted by an 18 year-old male victim that was also pinned down and choked. He's is also accused of pushing his fingers into the teen's eye sockets and punching him in the face before he was able to get away. The victims sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. Waite is being held pending arraignment on two counts of third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. He also faces second-degree strangulation and criminal obstruction of breathing charges.

Chautauqua Institution President Michael E. Hill released the following statement regarding the untimely death of Jared Jacobsen, organist and coordinator of worship and sacred music at Chautauqua since 1996: “We learned yesterday of the tragic passing of our beloved Jared Jacobsen, Chautauqua’s organist and coordinator of worship and sacred music for nearly 25 years, and someone who proudly proclaimed himself a lifelong Chautauquan. Jared was involved in a car accident in Geneva, Ohio.

“While we await formal word of Jared’s wishes, we know our community is grieving this unspeakable loss. Many have described Jared and the music he masterfully created with the iconic Massey Memorial Organ at the Chautauqua Amphitheater as the “heart and soul” of Chautauqua. This sentiment speaks not only to Jared’s talent, but of his ever-presence during our summer assembly season, his untiring love for music, and his generous willingness to share his passions with Chautauquans across generations. His music ushered in each day, heralded the noontime and afternoon hours, and closed each Sunday evening of the summer assembly, keeping the time of a timeless community.

“He played his final service and concert on Sun., August 25 — a service he curated and titled “Camp Meeting is Over.”

“Please join us for a memorial service at 11 a.m. Fri., August 30, in the Chautauqua Amphitheater, the Retired Rev. V. Gene Robinson presiding, with special guests and tributes to Jared's extraordinary life. For those unable to join us in person, we will livestream the service on our Facebook page. You may also want to visit the special tribute page we’ve established at chq.org/jared.”

A Jamestown man faces several charges for allegedly assaulting two young males in the presence of a 5 year-old girl....

Jamestown police responded to 14 Cedar Avenue for two males fighting on Monday night and, on arrival identified the suspect as 51 year-old Jesse Waite-junior. Police say -- while an intoxicated state -- Waite reportedly pinned a 9 year-old boy to ground before punching him in the face and choking him. Waite was confronted by an 18 year-old male victim that was also pinned down and choked. He's is also accused of pushing his fingers into the teen's eye sockets and punching him in the face before he was able to get away. The victims sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene. Waite is being held pending arraignment on two counts of third-degree assault, second-degree unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. He also faces second-degree strangulation and criminal obstruction of breathing charges.

A new multi-agency program in Chautauqua County has already been successful in diffusing four potential threat situations in local school districts....

That from District Attorney Patrick Swanson, who says he and current SUNY College at Fredonia Public Safety Director Brent Issacson were called to a situation about two-years ago. Swanson says the unnamed school's administration was made aware of a situation but, just didn't feel they were equiped to deal with it.

Swanson then reviewed a report on what's called a "School Threat Assessment and Response" or STAR Program that had shown success in Onondaga County. He says they then moved forward on the county's own STAR program, which involves law enforcement, public and mental health, and child protective services. Swanson says their 20-member team's interventions have led to "positive outcomes." He says the entire process is confidential, and he is the "point-person" for it. He says they recently met with all the county's superintendents to inform them about what the STAR program is all about. Swanson is quick to add that if law enforcement needs to be brought in to deal with an immediate situation, they are.

Local Congressman Tom Reed is calling for a federal investigation into Governor Andrew Cuomo's refusal to fix a stretch of Interstate 90 on Seneca Nation territory........

Reed held a news conference Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo. The Corning Republican says he has sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr, asking him to look into misuse of federal funds allocated for repairing the highway.

Reed is also asking Barr to investigate Cuomo for potential abuse of power for not taking care of the traveling public. He was joined in the press conference by Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello and motorists whose cars were damaging while traveling on that five-mile stretch of the Thruway.

Quick work by Dunkirk city police helped them nab two suspects in connection with a robbery on Washington Avenue late last Sunday night....

Police Chief David Ortolano says police were able to locate 29-year-old Jonathan Sidaui and 35-year-old David Anzalone just minutes after the hold-up. Ortolano says they has forcibly taken property from the victim before running off.

Sidaui and Anzalone were arrested near King Street and charged with second-degree robbery and, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both were arraigned in Dunkirk City Court and, remanded to the Chautauqua County Jail with bail to be set.

A woman was arrested for drug possession following a check on her well-being Monday in the village of Falconer....

Ellicott Town Police say they came to check on the woman sitting on bench and, identified her as 31 year-old Maddie Williams. Officers say while speaking with Williams, they allegedly saw drug paraphernalia on top of her purse and, asked if she had any illegal drugs. Williams reportedly turned over a small bag of heroin, while a further search revealed 13 hypodermic needles, one needle containing heroin and a small scale. She was sent to the county jail pending arraignment.

The head of the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities says the agreement reached between the New York Power Authority and 50 other power entities in the state is "extremely important."

That from BPU General Manager Dave Leathers after the board late Monday approved a 15-year extension with NYPA to receive hydropower. Leathers says it helps with planning, and making sure the power is there for their customers. However, while it helps keep the BPU's rates low, he says it doesn't "lock them in...".

The NYPA Board previously agreed to the extension, which continues the sale of about 765 megawatts of low-cost hydropower from the Niagara Power Project to all 51 municipal, and rural electric cooperative systems in the state. Leathers says it took a couple of years to negotiate the new agreement and, he was one of the people directly involved. Governor Andrew Cuomo is expected to sign the contract in the coming months.

Pennsylvania State Police are asking for the public's help regarding a hit-and-run accident in Warren County's Columbus Township Monday night.....

Troopers in Warren say 24 year-old Robert Hill -- of Savannah, Georgia -- was operating a bicycle on State Route-6 near Scotts Crossing Road when he was allegedly struck by a tractor-trailer traveling the same direction. Police say the big-rig driver failed to stop and fled the scene. The accident occurred about 9 PM Monday. Anyone with information is asked to call officers at 814-663-2043.

A Jamestown man was arrested last weekend on a number of warrants after officers on patrol spotted him and, chased him through several backyards....

City police say they observed 22 year-old Mason Alexander at the corner of West Third and Jefferson Streets about 11:30 Saturday morning and, tried to make contact with him. However, officers say Alexander took off and led them to an area of West Third and Jefferson Street when they caught him. Police say he resisted arrest but, was taken to the city jail pending arraignment on a total of four warrants. Alexander also faces new charges including obstructing governmental administration, and resisting arrest.

A Jamestown man wanted in both New York and Pennsylvania has turned himself into city police after a two-day search on Jamestown's eastside.....

City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says they received several tips on the possible whereabouts of 47 year-old Todd Dellahoy, whose vehicle was spotted in the area of Willard Street and Willow Avenue this past Thursday afternoon. Samuelson says Dellahoy turned himself into JPD investigators about 9 AM Saturday and, he was arrested for first-degree attempted arson. He was arraigned and sent to the county jail without bail. He's also sought on an unrelated warrant for Parole Violation in Pennsylvania.

A gracious acceptance and some blunt observations accompanied the presentation of a major humanitarian award at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown last night....

Irwin Cotler, Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and a former Justice Minister in Canada, said he was 'moved and humbled' to receive the Heintz Award for Humanitarian Achievement. Cotler spoke of an increase in authoritarian regimes in the world and ticked off a list of places where atrocities have occurred or political prisoners have been held, including Syria and Saudia Arabia. He said these situations are a 'looking glass' into resurgent authoritarianism, and a retreat of democracies. Joshua Heintz, a former member of the Jackson Center board, created the award. Last night's events opened the 13th annual International Humanitarian Roundtable. The evening concluded with a presentation by 'world musician' Samite Mulongo.

The world's top international prosecutors have again assembled in Chautauqua County, but the gathering this year will have a different name and format....

The annual International Humanitarian Law Dialogs are now called the "Humanitarian Law Roundtable..." and, it got underway yesterday at the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown. It continues today and tomorrow at Chautauqua Institution. Former International prosecutor, and Jackson Center Director, Jim Johnson, who has been heavily involved in past programs, says today they'll begin the actual roundtable, then have break out groups this afternoon.

Johnson says the programs are all free to the public and, are very unique because these are the "movers and shakers" in the international criminal law and, are the one's who make it happen. He adds they are the modern day Robert H. Jacksons. Johnson says they are continuing his work after the Nuremburg War Crimes trials that followed World War-Two. The founding prosecutors of the Law Dialogs will be on hand for Tuesday afternoon's program.

A new state law will take effect beginning in 2020 that will require all motorized watercraft operators complete a state-approved boating safety course. Doug Hamernick of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary says Brianna's Law will be phased in over the next five years.....

The legislation, signed into law earlier this month by Governor Andrew Cuomo, is named after an 11-year-old Long Island girl who was killed in a boating accident in 2005. Hamernick says a boater only needs to take the certificate course once and, it's good for life. Hamernick says failure to comply with the law could result in a fine of between $100 and $250-dollars starting in January of 2020.

The latest weapon in the fight against invasive species is the sniffing power of dogs trained to find noxious weeds before they flower and spread seeds....

The nonprofit New York-New Jersey Trail Conference has trained a Labrador retriever named Dia to find Scotch broom plants in two state parks 50 miles north of New York City. The invasive shrub is widespread in the Pacific Northwest but new to New York, and land managers hope to eradicate it before it gets established. Detection dogs have long been used to sniff out drugs, explosives and disaster survivors. Now there's a growing number being trained to find targeted invasive plants so conservationists can uproot them. Montana-based Working Dogs for Conservation is training dogs to find invasive insects and mussels as well as plants.

In New York state government news, Republican lawmakers aren't happy with Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to charge motorists $25-dollars for new license plates......

The Democratic governor recently announced a public vote to pick the plate's design, as well as plans to impose a $25 replacement fee on motorists with older plates. Republican lawmakers - and some Democrats - call it a cash grab. State Senate Republican leader John Flanagan says the state is trying to "nickel and dime" everyday New Yorkers. Cuomo's administration defends the move, noting that more than 3-million New York plates are at least 10 years old. Officials say aging plates can peel and rust. That can decrease reflectivity and make it harder for police or traffic cameras to read the plates.

The Chief Clerk in Warren County, Pennsylvania has been given the state's Outstanding Chief Clerk/Administrative Award for this year....

The County Commissioners in Warren say Pam Matve received the award at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania's Annual Dinner in Reading earlier this month. Officials say the award is given to county leaders and others who have enhanced the well-being of counties and residents. The state association says Matve is the first Chief Clerk in the history of Warren County to receive such an award for “excelling in an ever-changing position, as well as invaluable support of programs related to courthouse reconstruction, information storage, workforce opportunities for persons with disabilities, and the county’s open records process.” Matve calls it an "amazing honor."

City man sought by Jamestown Police turns-himself into JPD...
A Jamestown man wanted in both New York and Pennsylvania has turned himself into city police after a two-day search on Jamestown's eastside. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says they received several tips on the possible whereabouts of 47 year-old Todd Dellahoy... whose vehicle was spotted in the area of Willard Street and Willow Avenue this past Thursday afternoon. Samuelson says Dellahoy turned himself into JPD investigators about 9 this morning... and, he was arrested for first-degree attempted arson. He was also sought on an unrelated warrant in Pennsylvania. He was jailed pending arraignment.

Person taken for mental health evaluation following incident on Cole Ave. Friday...
A reported stand-off situation yesterday afternoon wound up being a call for a domestic situation on Jamestown's southside. Officers were called to a location on Cole Avenue just before 2 p.m. for a person reportedly not wanting to come out of a home. JPD Captain Bob Samuelson says the situation was later diffused, and the person involved was taken for a mental health evaluation and possible treatment. No one was hurt, and no arrests were made. No other information was released.

Swanson, Kennedy announce new, formal Overdose Response Initiative...
Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson has joined with the U-S Attorney's Office in Buffalo to formalize an agreement to create an Overdose Response Initiative. Swanson and U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior said Friday that it's modeled after similar initiatives across the state and country, this program aims to examine overdose deaths in an effort to track down drug dealers and offer support to victims' relatives. He says the ORI aims to coordinate local law enforcement and compile information from a multitude of sources to find the origin of the drugs that lead to overdoses. Swanson says they then work with their federal partners to put these cases together for federal prosecution.

Reed expresses concern as New York's new "Red Flag" takes effect today...
Local Congressman Tom Reed is putting a "Caution Flag" on New York's new "Red Flag Law" which takes effect today. The measure was approved earlier this year... and, would allow certain authorities to seek the temporary removal of firearms from individuals who pose a threat to their own selves or to the general public, even if they haven't been arrested. Reed says you can have a "reasonable conversation" about such laws... but, adds you can't trample on people's second-amendment rights either. He says it must recognize that people must have a voice in the process. Reed says the state is within it's rights to enact such laws... but, adds there needs to be due process, and a guard against frivolus claims in matters such as divorce and family custody situations. He adds there should also be stronger enforcement of current "credible threat" laws... and, he says doing such recently has possibly averted as many as a dozen mass shooting threats. New York's "Red Flag" Law was approved by state lawmakers... then signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo this past February. New York is the 13th state in the U-S to enact such a law.

About three-dozen personnel changes as JPS begins new school year...
With a new school year just around the corner.... personnel adjustments will also go into full-effect in the Jamestown city schools. District Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says -- the most notable changes include three new principals. They include Rosemary Bradley, who brings a dynamic background to Jamestown High School. He adds they also have Leslie Melquist at Jefferson Middle School... and former JHS Principal Mike McElrath will be principal at the new Rogers Success Academy. In addition, Apthorpe says a district-wide leave incentive led to 31 new hires this year. He says the addition of a lighted sign -- donated by the Class of 2016 -- on the Jamestown High School is a symbol of good things to come. The first day of classes for city students is a half-day on Thursday, Sept. 5.

Chautauqua Institution season coming to an end Sunday...
Chautauqua Institution is looking at a strong finish as another season comes to a close on Sunday. Chautauqua's Director of Marketing and Analytics, Vanessa Weinert, says attendance has been up from last year and may nudge ahead of 2017 when the season wraps up on Sunday. Weinert says they have already surpassed their 2018 numbers. She says the addition of a week-long food festival has helped to bring in the people during the final week of the season. Chautauqua President Michael Hill is expected to provide some reflections on the season before the traditional three-taps of gavel on Sunday.

State Fair to become 100-percent powered by Renewable Energy in four years...
A New York state commissioner says the state fair will be solely powered by renewable energy by 2023. State Agriculture and Markets Commission Richard Ball made the comment in front of a crowd of hundreds at the fair this week. He says the efforts are to create "the greenest fair in the U.S." Officials report the effort involves the building of wind turbines and installation of solar panels. Governor Andrew Cuomo also joined Ball for the event in Syracuse and announced a promotion effort to push fair attendance.

A man sought by Jamestown Police for attempted arson remains at large after his vehicle was reportedly spotted in an eastside neighborhood Thursday afternoon...........

City Police say they and U-S Marshalls got information regarding 47 year-old Todd Dellahoy, and his vehicle, being spotted in the area of Willard Street and Willow Avenue about 12:30 PM. Police responded, and checked a wooded area nearby, but did not find Dellahoy, who is wanted for first-degree attempted arson, and reckless endangerment. He was also wanted in Pennsylvania. Anyone with information on Dellahoys' whereabouts is asked to call city police at 483-7537... or the confidential tips line at 483-TIPS.

A city man is recovering from a non-life threating stab wound following a fight that occured in a vacant lot near a bar on Jamestown's eastside Wednesday night....

Ellicott Town Police Chief Bill Ohnmeiss says officers were called to The Bullfrog Hotel on East Second Street -- at the city line with Falconer -- about 11:30 PM. Ohnmeiss says officers met the victim, and identified him as Randy Woodmansee, junior. He says Woodmansee was taken initially to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital, then later transferred to UPMC Hamot in Erie, Pennsylvania for treatment of a stab wound to the abdomen. Ohnmeiss says they do have a suspect... but, that person is not being identified, and no arrest has yet been made. An investigator from Ellicott is talking to the victim again today and, the investigation is continuing.

The state's Appellate Court has denied the city of Jamestown and it's Board of Public Utilities' proposed annexation of property in Falconer belonging to the BPU....

The court issued it's ruling late Thursday on what city officials called "novel procedural grounds..." after the city was late responding to a filing by the village, town of Ellicott, and the Falconer School District. The three entities have opposed the annexation of the four-acres the BPU's Dow Street Substation is located on since the BPU and the city first announced they were taking the action. However, BPU officials say the Appellate Division made no finding with respect to the merits of the City's petition, thereby leaving the door open for the city to continue to pursue annexation of the Substation property. City leaders say they are "disappointed" with the ruling, and will consider their future options. They add that a favorable ruling would have saved the board and city at least $173,000 in tax expenses each year.

There may finally be some movement on the new U-S, Mexico, Canada trade agreement once Congress returns from it's August recess next month....

That from local Congressman Tom Reed in response to a recent news story about the stalled agreement. Reed says there are a number of Democrats who would like to see the USMC acted on by Fall and, he believes that is putting pressure on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Reed says there are also procedural ways that the USMC can be brought to the floor, even if the speaker continues to block a vote. He says his visit to Cummins' Jamestown Engine Plant helped reinforce the need to have the measure voted on, because the heavy-duty engine maker does most of it's business in Mexico and Canada. He says it's frustrating that one person can hold up action on a measure that would likely pass overwhelmingly. Reed made his comments for his weekly telephone conference call with Southern Tier Media.

More major recognition has come to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown....

This time, the center has been named as one of TIME Magazine's "World's Greatest Places." Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson says TIME's September 2nd edition is featuring the "100 new and newly newsworthy destinations to experience right now." Gunderson says it's only one of nine attractions in the U-S to be recognized.

Gunderson says this annual TIME list is drawn from editor and expert nominations, unlike the USA Today ranking the National Comedy Center was part of earlier this year. If you would like to see the "World's Greatest Places" edition of TIME, she says it's out on news stands now. Gunderson says the honor validates what visitors to the Comedy Center tell them everyday, that it's a "one-of-a kind experience for anyone who loves to laugh." Earlier this year, USA Today ranked the National Comedy Center second on it's list of 20 "Best New Attactions." The center has also been honored by People Magazine as one of 100 Reasons to Love America.

Riders who depend on the Chautauqua Area Rural Transit System's bus service will now be able to take advantage of the service year-round....

That from County Executive George Borrello, who says this Summer's test run for the fixed route service by CARTS was "successful." Borrello says the service will also be ADA Complimentary. Back in May of this year, CARTS launched a pilot program to provide Saturday City Fixed Routes Service to customers during the summer months of June, July and August. Public Facilities Director Brad Bentley says "the ridership response to Saturday Summer Service has exceeded our expectations." He adds that after reviewing the data, they have decided to continue the service through the end of 2020. For more information, call CARTS at 665-6466.

A Celoron man accused of leading an illegal Jamestown drug organization has now pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute one-kilogram or more of heroin........

U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior says prosecutors say -- in early 2016 -- that 47 year-old Sigfriedo Martinez led the drug ring which trafficked quantities of heroin and cocaine in the Jamestown-area. He had two co-defendants handle the "day" and "night" shifts for the organization and, every few days, Martinez would distribute a couple hundred bundles of heroin each to the men, who would then distribute it to smaller dealers and users. From February of 2016 to March of 2017, he says investigators conducted at least eight controlled purchases of heroin or cocaine from the two co-defendants. He was arrested during a raid the following month, and, faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10-million fine when he's sentenced in November.

Details are sparce, but one person was taken to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital after an apparent stabbing near the Bullfrog Hotel....

The Jamestown Post-Journal reports investigators were called to the area about 11:30 last night and, remained on-scene through the overnight. On arrival, police say they learned an unknown person was allegedly stabbed in the chest and that the male suspect was wearing a green shirt with jeans. The paper says the victim's condition is unknown at this time. We'll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

Chautauqua County could become THE prime East Coast supplier for some farm products used in the brewing, distilling, and baking industries....

Those are the results of the ‘Grow Chautauqua’ study, unveiled Wednesday night in Mayville. The study was led, and partially paid for by agricultural entrepreneur Chris LaCorata. He says there’s a geographical imbalance for key products like hops and malted barley, with 95 percent of them coming from three northwestern states.

LaCorata believes there's potential for someone else and says 'it needs to be us.' The company he envisions, to be called Empire State Brands, would help regional farmers grow, harvest, process and market hops, barley and other grains. A major processing facility, upwards of 200,000 sqaure feet, would be located in Chautauqua County. LaCorata will now begin looking for the $14.7 million the project will cost. And, he hopes to hold a major gathering for farmers in October to encourage them to plant these specialty crops. Chautauqua County, the IDA and a number of foundations helped fund the $120,000 study.

A majority of economists say the United States is headed for an economic slow-down and, possibly a recession by next year or 2021....

Local Congressman Tom Reed doesn't dispute that, but says he's not overly concerned about those predictions because the economy is still very strong right now. At the same time, he says people should watch their rhetoric and not be rooting for a recession, either.

Reed says some political pundits seem to be "pushing a recession" to make President Trump look bad. However, Tariffs in recent months have had an impact. Reed was at Cummins' Jamestown Engine Plant Tuesday, which has seen solid growth in recent months. However, Reed says tariffs are a concern for the Jamestown-area's largest employer, because their markets include China and Mexico. The president said Tuesday that his administration is a looking at a variety of tax cut proposals, but not as a response to a potential recession.

The Jamestown High School Red Raider Marching Band will hold a preview of its 2019 competitive show tonight at JHS.....

The event will start at 8 PM on the field behind JHS. This year's program is called 'Journey Home'. The band has, for the second time in recent years, been boosted up to 'National Class', the highest level of competition in the New York State Field Band Conference. The band's first official show will be the Fall Festival of Bands at Strider Field in Jamestown, on the evening of Saturday, September 14th.

A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly threatening several other people with a rifle last weekend in the Chautauqua Gorge State Forest in Mayville....

State Police in Jamestown were called to the scene late last Sunday and, arrested 62 year-old Douglas Murvine. Troopers say their investigation showed that Murvine became upset when another camper arrived with two dogs. He allegedly threatened to shoot the dogs and pointed a rifle at the victim and his dogs. Murvine then set the rifle down, picked up a rock and threatened to hit the victim with the rock. Troopers say this all occurred in the presence of four children. Murvine was arraigned on two counts of second-degree menacing, and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and, released on bail.

The first day of school is set for Thursday, September 5th for the Jamestown Public Schools.....

With that, the city school board has a major goal in mind for the 2019-2020 school year -- a focus on the "culture and genuine truth that all kids can learn." District Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says collaboration will be a main focus with principals and teachers, but also with parents of students. Another focus is the well-being of secondary students. Dr. Apthorpe hopes to give students the resources to find acitivities they can find an emotional connection to.

The 14th annual Jamestown Regional Celtic Festival and Gathering of the Clans is set to get underway this Friday night at Mayville's Lakeside Park with plenty of music, Celtic games and culture....

Principal Organizer Doug Clark says it's again being put on by the 96th Highlanders Pipes and Drums. Clark says that the gates open Friday night at 6 and, will feature the first of several musical groups from 7 to 9:30 PM named "Town Pants...."

Clark says the festival gets into full swing on Saturday morning, with three Celtic bands and, the pipe bands playing all day long through 5 PM. He says their vendors will be near the main entry way. In addition, Clark says they'll have 27 Heavy Athletes taking part in their annual competition. For more information... call 484-2833.

Flames destroyed a vacant, condemned house on Jamestown's eastside early Tuesday morning. City Fire Battlion Chief Chris Dahlgren says crews were called to the scene at 319 Haywood Street about 3:40 AM and, found heavy fire coming from each floor and the attic...

Dahlgren says the fire had such a head start, officials called for an emergency demolition of the structure later in the morning. He says an off-duty shift of 15 firefighters and a shift commander was called in. He says no one was hurt and, crews were at the scene about six hours. Dahlgren says there were no services hooked up to the building. He adds that investigators have completed their preliminary investigation. Anyone with information on the blaze can call the Jamestown Police or Fire Department.

Two Jamestown men are jailed on $75,000 bail each for allegedly assaulting a fellow inmate at the Chautauqua County Jail in Mayville earlier this month....

Sheriff's deputies say members of their Criminal Investigation Division investigated the assault, which was reported back on August 6th. Officers say 33 year-old Kyle Kamholtz and 24 year-old Alvin J Jusino assaulted the man. The victim had to be taken to Westfield Memorial Hospital for treatment of his injuries, and he was later released. Both Kamholtz and Jusino were arraigned on second-degree assault charges, and returned to the county lock-up.

If you need proof of a strong economy in the United States, go to Cummins' Jamestown Engine Plant in Ashville. That's what local Congressman Tom Reed did Tuesday afternoon on the occasion of Cummins' 45th anniversary...

Reed presented a special commendation to Plant Manager Anna Dibble to recognize Cummins' anniversary after touring the plant... which is turning out 500-plus heavy-duty vehicle engines daily. The Corning Republican says it's great to see the company busy, and employing up to 1,700 and, investing millions of dollars to upgrade their production lines. Dibble is the first woman manager for one of Cummins' major plants. She says they appreciate the recognition, and noted they officially celebrated the plant's 45th anniversary about two-months ago. Dibble is a native of Russell, Pennsylvania and, began working at the Jamestown Engine Plant while she was in college nearly three decades ago.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi is looking to check off a "bucket list" of projects before he leaves office at the end of the year and, locating a splash pad in the city is among those....

Teresi says while a community swimming pool isn't feasible nor affordable, a splash pad, similar to the one in Dunkirk, is. He made his pitch to the City Council at Monday night's work session and, adds it's affordable, and been very popular in the north county city.

Teresi says the city has been successful in raising money for playground projects and, a more recent one for a new skatepark. He says the big question is where to put it. Teresi says the main issue will be parking, so that needs to be considered, along with utilities. He adds soil conditions will also have to be considered. Teresi says Dunkirk was able to pay the vast majority of the cost with funding from the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, and the state Consolidated Funding through the Regional Economic Development Council.

There's a lot of excitement over the filming of 'A Quiet Place 2' in the Buffalo-area, but the camera crew has also been working at some locations in Chautauqua County....

While he couldn't get into specifics, Film Commissioner Tim Clark of the Buffalo-Niagara Film Office, says the crew has been filming in the town of Dunkirk and other locations in the county.

More and more film makers have been making inquiries about the Western New York area in recent years and, Clark says that's because of New York State's film incentive program. He says that interest has also extended to Chautauqua County, with a number of movies using the Lake Erie shoreline in the Dunkirk area for filming. Hollywood star John Krasinski is directing 'A Quiet Place 2" and Clark says Paramount Productions expects the movie to be released in March of 2020.

It appears one of Jamestown's parks is in line for a new name, possibly by the end of the year...

A group of northside residents -- and others -- has petitioned the city to rename Chadakoin Park after three northside residents known for their public service. One of the organizers of the effort, Wanda Cooper, says they want to rename the park "Jackson-Taylor Park." Cooper says the "Jackson" is for late Jamestown Community College leader Isabelle Jackson.

Cooper says the "Taylor" is for Lula and Vivian Taylor. Vivan was a long-time Jamestown City Council member who represented the northside ward, while his wife, Lula, represented that area for many years on the Chautauqua County Legislature. Mayor Sam Teresi says he's pleased to see the petition come forward, and asked lawmakers to put priority on getting the measure approved.

In addition to serving the community politically, the Taylors were also active in preserving local African-American history. At-Large City Councilwoman Kim Ecklund sits on the city Parks Commission and said she would bring a resolution forward to rename the park after Isabelle Jackson and the Taylors at their next meeting.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced the nomination of Eric Gertler to serve as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Empire State Development, the state's chief economic development agency....

He will replace Howard Zemsky, who will remain Chair of the ESD Board. Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello says he is pleased that Zemsky will continue to play a role with ESD.

Gertler is executive chairman of U.S. News & World Report and, worked as co-publisher of the New York Daily News from 2015 to 2017. While he is pleased that Gertler comes from the private sector, Borrello says he will reserve judgement until he sees whether Gertler will carry-on Zemsky's work.

New York state officials are asking the public to help choose a new license plate design....

Governor Andrew Cuomo says people can vote on the governor's website now for one of five plate designs. Four of the designs include the Statue of Liberty while one features the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge over the Hudson River. Voting runs through September 2nd. The design with the most votes will become available in April. They will replace the state's blue-and-white plates, most of which are more than 10 years old. As vehicle owners renew their registrations, owners with license plates 10 years old or older will be issued new plates for a $25 fee.

Chautauqua County's top-elected official says he has a "unique perspective" to bring to Albany and, that's why residents should elect him for the State Senate....

County Executive George Borrello brought his campaign to the Noon Rotary Club meeting at the Doubletree in Jamestown yesterday afternoon, and, says the county "cannot afford" to have lack of representation now that Cathy Young has taken a position in the private sector.

Until he became executive, Borrello says he owned his own marketing business in the north county for about three decades. He is now into his second-year as County Executive. Borrello says more leaders with that kind of experience are needed in Albany. He says there are several people that serve in Albany that have business experience but, only one other in the Senate who has been a county leader. Borrello's Democratic opponent is Austin Morgan of Delevan. Morgan spoke to the Noon Rotary Club last month.

The invasive Water Chestnuts discovered earlier this month in the outlet area of Chautauqua Lake were in the early stages of growth... but, lake groups and others are being vigilant to make sure they don't take hold....

That from Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance Executive Director Erin Brickley, who says employees of the Western New York Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management -- or PRISM -- found two full grocery bags of Water Chestnuts earlier this month.

Brickley says the aquatic plants were found in the outlet area between Carlson's Boat Livery in Celoron, and McCrea Point Park Boat launch in Jamestown, where they had been first detected in 2015. She says there's a lot of information at the state Department of Environmental Conservation's website. She adds there are two ways to contact officials if you see Water Chestnuts in the lake. Brickley says you should call the Roger Tory Peterson Institute at 665-2473 or Western New York PRISM at 878-4708.

The newest business in the village of Celoron has made another contribution to the community, one that's already been embraced by basketball fans....

The owner of the Chautauqua Harborfront Hotel, David Hart, and his partner, Peter Krog, decided they wanted to donate a new basketball court to replace the old one near the lake, which was small, and aged. Hart hosted an unveiling of the court Monday afternoon and, says he and Krog approached Mayor Scot Schrecengost about the idea about a year ago.

Schrecengost thanked Hart for their latest contribution, and says it's really a "great enhancement" to Lucille Ball Memorial Park, in addition to the new Boardwalk, which was on full display during the recent Dragon Boat races on the lake.

A groomsman was arrested for petty larceny for allegedly stealing the newlywed's cards with gifts inside them...

Jamestown police were called to investigate the theft, which occurred last Friday at 120 Chandler Street. Officers determined 30 year-old Kevin Klemens, of Jamestown, took the items. He was taken into custody to the city jail and is held on bail.

Some strong thunderstorms last Saturday afternoon produced strong winds that damaged a dock and a couple of boats on Chautauqua Lake near Lakewood and Ashville.....

However, Forecaster Jon Hitchcock with the National Weather Service in Buffalo says the damage was not caused by a tornado. Hitchcock says the storm was one in a series that came through between 3 and 3:30 PM.

Hitchcock says these kinds of storms are not unusual during this time of year when you get a rush of "rain-cooled" air that results in "micro-bursts." Also Sunday, he confirmed for us that a water spout was spotted on Lake Erie Saturday morning, which he says is common this time of year on the Great Lakes. No other significant damage was reported from Saturday or Sunday's morning storms. Hitchcock says we'll remain in this pattern through the early part of this week. But, later we'll begin to see cooler, drier air making it's way into the region later in the week.

Federal lawmakers have been able to take some action regarding the recent plague of gun violence in the United States, and has approved a couple of measures signed into law....

Local Congressman Tom Reed says these actions were not necessarily covered extensively by the media, but will hopefully help. Reed says he supports measures like the "Fix the Nix" Act that was approved and signed into law that allows for better exchanging background check information. He also touted one that provides more funding for school resource officers.

Reed says both measures were pushed by the bi-partisan Problem Solver's Caucus that he co-chairs. Both items were approved before the most recent shootings in California, Texas and Ohio. But, Reed is hoping lawmakers can do more once they return from their August recess. The Corning Republican made his comments during his weekly telephone conference call with Southern Tier Media.

In New York government news, Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to create a new crime of domestic terrorism for mass shootings or other large-scale killings motivated by bias.....

The Democrat says his proposal would apply to acts like the recent mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, where authorities say the shooter targeted Mexicans. He cited other shootings in recent years targeting Jewish people, the LGBTQ community and African Americans. The proposed Hate Crimes Domestic Terrorism Act would apply to mass-casualty incidents resulting in death and injury that targeted victims based on factors including race, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, religion or sexual orientation. Those found guilty of the crime would face life in prison without parole - the same penalty prescribed in the state's existing anti-terror law.

Jamestown's Geer-Dunn Company is celebrating a century in business this year....

Two men from Warren, Clifton Geer and Clair Dunn, started the office supply store on Cherry Street in 1919. Current owner, Dave Jaroszynski, is just the second owner, acquiring the business in 1970.

For the last three decades, the store has been located on Prendergast Avenue between 3rd and 4th Streets. As retailing has changed, Jaroszynski believes service has kept Geer-Dunn as the first choice for customers, as they can solve problems quickly. Dave's children, John and Michele, are among the six employees at Geer-Dunn today.

A National Rifle Association leader-turned-critic is meeting with New York investigators this week and, the NRA wants to be there...

New York's attorney general's office is questioning Oliver North on Tuesday as it probes whether the NRA broke laws governing its nonprofit status. The NRA asked a judge Friday to let it in the meeting, saying it would be "severely prejudiced" if privileged information is divulged. New York Attorney General Letitia James says that her office is fair and that she's rejecting the NRA's "scare tactics." The NRA is facing several legal battles.

A Ripley man has been arrested for allegedly damaging property belonging to someone else early last weekend....

Sheriff's officers were called to the scene on East Lake Road in Ripley about 10 PM last Friday for a disorderly person. When deputies arrived, they found that 44 year-old Matthew Fowler damaged the other person's property. Fowler was arrested and charged with fourth-degree Criminal Mischief and, he was sent to the county jail for centralized arraignment.

County Dept. of Health and Human Services issued Vaping Advisory...
Chautauqua County health officials are now urging residents to stop using all vaping products until the investigation into the defi...